German

Japanese

German

On Campus: Major and Minor are available - After the Elementary and Intermediate courses, a full range of advanced classes in German language, literature, history and culture, and conversation are available.

Abroad: Foreign study opportunities include travel-study and exchange programs at the Technische Hochschule and the Hochschule f|r Musik in Dresden, Germany, as well as at the Fachhochschule Deggendorf (Business).

Why Study German?

A Growing Interest

The German language is becoming increasingly popular as a second language of choice so popular that Belmont has broadened its German program to accommodate this new demand. For the first time, Belmont students have the option to major in German.

So why this new interest in the German language? Perhaps a new awareness has been sparked and continues to develop as more people acknowledge the significant contributions German speakers have made in such fields as science (the first to synthesize aspirin), religion (the 'quelle' theory), and psychology (the idea of the subconscious by Sigmund Freud).

The German influence has also touched the worlds of music and literature by Mozart, Bach, Wagner, and Mann, Kafka, and Wolf, respectively. The discipline of philosophy includes Kant's ungraspable 'thing in-and-of itself,' Hegel's dialectic formula, Marx's economic equality, and Nietzsche's 'bermensch.' The Bauhaus was world famous as the center of intellectual and artistic education for many modern artists, architects, and designers who promoted the use of technology for creative purposes.

These innovative artists spread their talents from the canvas to utilitarian objects, broadening artistic possibilities. Wilhelm Rvntgen changed the technological resources available to medical practitioners when he discovered X-rays in 1895. Of course, our list only skims the surface of a seemingly endless well of intellectual, artistic, and scientific resources discovered, created, and materialized by the minds and diligence of those from German speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and areas of Switzerland.

Historically speaking, the region now known as Germany has been the locus of significant changes, beginning with the invasion of the Germanic tribes who introduced the territory to a proto-German language; Martin Luther's challenges against Catholicism that gave rise to a new Christianity; Germany's development into a nation in 1871; to the tragedy of WWII and the subsequent building of that divisive wall that split Germany into two radically different halves. Since the fall of the wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany in 1990, there has been a new concentration on the assimilation and rebuilding of the former East Germany. This new emphasis on reconstruction has led to a resurgence in architecture and civil engineering.

Many changes are taking place in Germany, making this dynamic country full of opportunities for the present and the future. Such dynamism is reflected in the variety of governmental and economic structures, created and dissolved by the rise and fall of ideologies. As a consequence, an education in German studies is one of culture, history, human behavior, politics, literature, economics, comparative governmental systems, and language all of which shape and reflect a national personality.

Adrienne WestBelmont Graduate

German Activities

The Max-Kade-Haus

The Max-Kade-Haus offers an 'immersion experience' for those interested in learning the language, experiencing German daily life, and celebrating traditions. The M-K-Haus is a residential facility for students of German, German exchange students, and other Belmont students interested in learning the language, including those with no prior experience.

'Der Stammtisch'

Belmont has a German Club that meets weekly for coffee and conversation at the Max-Kade-Haus. The club sponsors special events related to the German culture, including Kaffeeklatsch and foreign film nights, and participates in the annual World Fair. All students of the language are encouraged to join.